We are all Malala: Jolie pays tribute to Pakistani teen

Heaping praise on the 14-yr-old who was shot by the Taliban for campaigning for women's education, the Hollywood actress hopes the teenager receives the Nobel Peace Prize

Angelina Jolie is no stranger to fighting the good fight. And now, the United Nations Goodwill Ambassador has turned her attention to Malala Yousafzai, writing an opinion piece in defence of the 14-year-old Pakistani girl’s struggle for educational equality and how she discussed the tragic shooting of Malala with her brood of children.

“I felt compelled to share Malala’s story with my children. It was difficult for them to comprehend a world where men would try to kill a child whose only “crime” was the desire that she and others like her be allowed to go to school,” Angelina wrote in the Daily Beast.

Beautiful tribute: Angelina Jolie, who visited Pakistan in 2005, penned an essay ‘We are all Malala’ about the moment she told her kids of Malala (right) and the brave stance she had taken. File Pic/Getty Images

“Our 8-year-old [Pax] suggested that the world build a statue for Malala, and fittingly create a reading nook near it. Our 6-year-old [Shiloh] asked the practical question of whether Malala had any pets, and if so, who would take care of them? She also asked about Malala’s parents and if they were crying.” She added, “We decided that they were, but not only for their daughter, also for children around the world denied this basic human right.”

She continued, “The following morning, the news showed pictures of children across Pakistan holding up Malala’s picture at vigils and demonstrations, and praying in schools. My son worried that girls were going to be shot for standing up for Malala.

I told him that they were aware of the danger, but publicly supporting her reflects how much Malala means to them. Malala’s courage reminded all Pakistanis how important an education is. Her bravery inspired their own. Still trying to understand, my children asked, “Why did those men think they needed to kill Malala?” I answered, “because an education is a powerful thing”.’Malala was airlifted to Birmingham, England, where she’s said to be in a stable condition at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

The hospital confirmed Malala had a ‘comfortable’ night and doctors had been impressed by Malala’s resilience.But the Pakistani teenager needs ‘prolonged care’ to help her recover from the physical and psychological effects of the attack and it seems likely her treatment will take more than six months. It is unclear whether it will ever be safe enough for Malala, whose name means ‘grief-stricken’, to return home. It is likely she will remain in Britain. UN ambassador Jolie also says she hopes Malala will be in contention for a Nobel Peace Prize.

$50,000 The amount (Rs 26.2 lakh) that Angelina Jolie is donating to Daily Beast founder Tina Brown’s Women in the World Foundation, which aims to provide funds to women and girls’ fighting for girls’ education in Pakistan and Afghanistan."